| January 24 | Abdij Church in Middelburg destroyed by fire |
| January 24 | In Netherlands, Duke of Alva declares William of Orange an outlaw |
| February 17 | Holy Roman Emperor agrees to pay tribute to the Sultan for peace |
| March 23 | Treaty of Longjumeau: French huguenots go on strike |
| May 13 | Mary Queen of Scots is defeated by English at battle of Langside |
| May 16 | Mary Queen of Scotland flees to England |
| May 19 | English queen Elizabeth I arrests Scottish queen Mary |
| May 23 | Battle at Heiligerlee: Dutch rebels beat Spanish, 100s killed |
| June 1 | Duke van Alva beheads 18 nobles in Brussels |
| July 10 | Battle on Eems: Dutch Water garrison beats Spanish |
| July 13 | Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral perfects a way to bottle beer |
| July 21 | Battle at Jemmingen: Alva's troops beat Dutch rebellion |
| October 5 | Conference of York begins: trial against Mary Stuart |
| October 5 | Willem of Oranges army occupies Brabant |
| October 21 | 2nd Altenburger sermon: Philippisten/Gnesiolutheranen |
| December 24 | Uprising of Morisco's in Granada |
| December 26 | Uprising of Morisco's against suppression in Granada |
